Syrian Kurds, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and the Strategic Framing of the Civil War: Selling the New Model of Governance

by Turgay Demir

Overview

The book mainly analyzes the lobbying attempts of the PYD to sell its model of governance through the specific arguments with a purpose for engaging with the international powers, the US and the UK, and these countries’ responsiveness towards the PYD arguments. While analyzing the PYD’s strategies for lobbying and the responsiveness of the US and the UK, the book also considers the counter-lobbying efforts of Turkey and its potential challenges on these countries’ responsiveness towards the PYD arguments. The author argues that the responsiveness of the US and the UK towards the PYD arguments is mainly related to these countries’ policy stances and policy objectives in Syria during the civil war. In this regard, the overlapping or conflicting policy objectives between the PYD, the Turkish government, and the US and the UK play a significant role in the responsiveness of these countries towards the PYD arguments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666927832
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	03/15/2023
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.32(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

Turgay Demir is lecturer at the International Relations Department of the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize in Turkey.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Ideology of the Kurdish Political Movement and Its International Relations

Chapter 2 Dynamic Framing in Ethnic Lobbying

Chapter 3 Favorable Political Opportunities and the PYD Lobbying

Chapter 4 Turkish Government’s Response to PYD Lobbying: Negative Characterization and Counter-Lobbying

Chapter 5 Responsiveness Towards Normative Arguments

Chapter 6 Responsiveness Towards Strategic Arguments

Conclusion

Bibliography

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

This well written and documented analysis lucidly unpacks the important Syrian Kurdish experience and resulting new model of Kurdish governance since the horrific civil war commenced in 2011. Recommended.

Michael M. Gunter Michael M. Gunter

This is a very welcome and timely addition to the expanding literature on the Syrian Kurds. Turgay Demir builds on excellent recent work to provide valuable analysis of the PYD’s efforts to lobby for international support for Rojava’s survival, and Turkey’s counter-efforts. The book delivers a clear and comprehensive exposition of this struggle and a compelling argument for the importance of winning the narrative war alongside military efforts.

Robert Lowe

The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Syrian Kurdish national movement and social movement theories. It provides a well-informed and rigorous analysis of how the PYD sold its vision to international audiences depending on their overlapping or conflicting policy objectives with the PYD in Syria.

Gordon Clubb

This well written and documented analysis lucidly unpacks the important Syrian Kurdish experience and resulting new model of Kurdish governance since the horrific civil war commenced in 2011. Recommended.

Michael M. Gunter